Evaluating Sales Training Programs: Determining the Effectiveness of Sales Training Programs

Overview: Evaluating sales training programs is an on-going requirement that is being made easier with today’s emerging technologies. For example, collecting participant demographic information at the time Level 1 evaluations are completed and storing that information in a participant data base facilitates the processing and collecting of data at Levels 2 through 4. Using the Internet, Level 2 post-tests can be accessed and completed by the participants, using a password-protected approach. Participants are given access to a web page and, using their password, get access to post-tests that are randomly generated for each participant. Random-generated testing programs are generally available for use today. Completion of Level 3-4 questionnaires can be accomplished in a similar fashion, again using the same participant database. Four to six months after participating in a sales training program participants are given a distinct password and asked to complete an online survey that contains questions related to their behavior on the job (Level 3) and the business results they have achieved (Level 4). Behaviors can be summarized and return on investment calculated from these surveys. Evaluating the results of training at all four levels is a significant challenge to training professionals, yet the need for effective evaluation is critical in these days of budget scrutiny and corporate streamlining. All training providers should have a well-established methodology for evaluating sales training programs. Taken together, these indicators of evaluation form the basis of lasting change within the sales organization.

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Format: PDF | Size: 366KB | Date: Jan 2003 | Pages: 18